


The Rise of Palpatine

by Starkulous



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dark Rey (Star Wars), Dark Reylo, Darth Kylo, Devoted Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Enemies to confidants to almost lovers to enemies not really, Established Kylo Ren/Rey, Exagol, F/M, Final Order, Force Bond (Star Wars), Grey Ben, Jedi of the past, Mortis - Freeform, POV First Person, POV Kylo Ren, POV Rey (Star Wars), Pre-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, References to Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Rey Palpatine, balance, light kylo, mental manipulation, resolution of grey, there is another Skywalker...and palpatine
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:48:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25054939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkulous/pseuds/Starkulous
Summary: Rey glared at them, "Since my dear friend Finn forces me to justify myself, here is the truth: I was distraught, I had just discovered that Palpatine is my grandfather and that Luke and Leia had voluntarily separated me from my family and they knew ALL of it and still lied to me!""So, yes, I turned to Kylo, because at that moment, he was the only one I thought I could trust. He may be the monster you describe, but at least he never lied to me. He is incapable of it, the nature of our bond forbids it; another thing that Anakin told me."ORIn which Palpatine returns and Rey is still his granddaughter.Only... What if Palpatine was not responsible for abandoning Rey?As Rey struggles with the dark side, betrayals, misunderstandings and shenanigans ensue.Balance, as it turns out is too big a job for one person...or two.The story alternates between the views of Rey and Kylo Ren (among others) and centres on their relationship. Warning: The story is openly Reylo.Post Episode VIII AU.(This is a translation of 'L'ascension de Palpatine' by JessSwann, which is published in french)
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Leia Organa & Rey, Minor Finn/Rose Tico - Relationship, One sided Finn/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 22
Kudos: 47
Collections: Kylo/Ben’s POV





	1. Rey

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [L'ascension de Palpatine](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22897060) by [JessSwann](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessSwann/pseuds/JessSwann). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance scrambles after a narrow escape on Crait, while Rey reflects on her relationship with the new Supreme Leader. Cue Force Skype and uneasy conversations...

****

**Chapter 1**

**Rey**

We lost.

Should I have taken his hand? In spite of everything, who I am, where I’m from? No. Certainly not.

But all the same, I can't deny that he attracts me ...

The Dark Side…

I am no one. 

He is now the Supreme Leader of the First Order and all the peoples who live under the power of the new Empire bow down to him. That is what it means to most people in the galaxy. 

But that is not all.

To my mentor, Leia Organa, he is the cursed son, the patricidal child once called Ben Solo. He is the one she still blames herself for having lost.

To my master, Luke Skywalker, he was the irreparable mistake, the lost padawan, the one who fell to the Dark Side of the Force.

To me, he's just Ben.

I wish he was only Ben. But I can't forget his allegiance to the Sith, to the dark side.

Ben is dying, buried under the power of Kylo Ren.

Supreme Leader Kylo Ren….

The embodiment of evil, the dictator whom I fight with all my strength and will. 

He who aims to deprive the galaxy of its freedom.

I know, it’s bad, harmful, dangerous, but ... I can’t help but be drawn to him.

* * *

General Organa drags me out of the doldrums of my dark thoughts.

"Why such a long face?" 

Her question left me confused for a few moments. 

Does she not realize that all is lost? Master Skywalker, her brother, is no more. The last Jedi is dead.

What hope do we have left now?

"You, Rey. You are our last hope,” she said, smiling gently.

Me? Impossible! I don't have the training, I don't have any mastery over the Force. I am barely at the beginning of my apprenticeship and far from matching the power of a true Jedi Master. 

Besides, now that he has left us, I have nothing but dusty books to guide me and not a single Jedi left to teach me.

"I'll pick up where Luke left off," says Leia, a barely noticeable crack in her voice when pronouncing the name of her late brother.

“You? But…”

“What do you think I spent all these years of peace, Rey? I trained. Anakin, my father, had restored balance in the Force, but like Luke, I always knew that dark days could rise from the ashes. Light is inseparable from Darkness. I only wish Ben was not responsible for this chaos” she said, her face marred with sorrow.

Well ... Everything brings me back to him. 

I hate him for the harm he has done, that he still does. For the pain he inflicts on his own mother. How can he throw away everything his parents have always fought for? Freedom is the spearhead of the Skywalkers, he should have fought alongside his uncle against the First Order instead of being the pawn. How can he deny the heritage of his blood so? He doesn't know how lucky he is to have such a family. He is the descendant of an illustrious line and he disgraced the sacrifices of his grandfather and his parents for his pitiful thirst for power.

"Where are we going General?”

“On Dagobah. We will be safe there. "

Poe was confused "Dagobah? You’re sure ? "

The general’s glances at me, "Sure. This is the best option available to us. "

Without another word, she walks away with a confident stride in her step, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

"What a woman," Poe mutters under his breath, slightly in awe.

I agree with him, I have never met someone with such strength of character and that only exacerbates my anxiety on not being able to live up to her expectations.

C3PO walks past me, wringing his metal hands.

"Master Luke has left us, what are we going to do without him? Mistress Rey? "

I take a few seconds to realize that it is addressed to me. Mistress ? I'm not used to being called that, and I doubt I deserve it. For now, I'm just a padawan.

“We will fight, C3PO and defend what is dear to us."

I hope I have put enough conviction into my answer, even if I am not sure that I live up to Leia's expectations, I do not want my friends to doubt me.

The General is right, for now, we need to believe that there is still a ray of hope. Without that, the death of Master Skywalker will have been in vain and I refuse that this is the case.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Leia's approving look and it warms my heart, chasing the dark. For her, I would strive to be up to par. It is out of the question to disappoint her. She lost too much, sacrificed too much for me to give up.

**_Dagobah,_ **

****

Swamps, still swamps covered with thick mist, through which I can barely see, surround me. In the distance, Finn is probably waving my hand to encourage me. I smiled back at him, my heart tight. In my friend's gaze, there is more hope than I can bear.

"Again Rey! Concentrate, let the Force guide you, I know you can do it, it is your doubts and your fear that hold you back. "

I fall heavily on the ground, annoyed. Despite Master Leia's encouragement, I can't levitate for more than a few minutes, when wielding a lightsaber with enough efficiency to fend for myself against Kylo Ren.

Suddenly, I am overcome with an uneasiness.

" _So, you still want to fight me?" At least you realize that you are not up to the task. However, it would have been enough for you to take my hand to accomplish all that you dream of and more…_ ”

Kylo Ren's voice creeps so deep into me that I jump before getting up, disoriented.

" Where are you?”

“ _The real question is: where are you,? Show me your hiding place… ”_

By reflex, I close my eyes while trying to repel his insidious presence.

" _Resistance?"_ Kylo Ren has fun. _Don't worry, little scavenger, I'll find you. Your lousy cover-up efforts won't last long against the power of the Sith_ . "

I grit my teeth and open my eyes. There I see it.

He is in what appears to be a vessel of the Order. Entirely in black, dressed in just a touch of blood red, his dark pupils dart straight into mine. For a moment, my heart capsizes. He looks so alone ... So powerful, unforgiving, but so sad ...

"Rey! Master Organa, what’s happening to her?"

Finn's voice reaches me, like coming from the other end of the galaxy but I cling to my connection with Kylo.

" _So, Leia resumes your training... The padawan of a padawan ... Laughable.”_

“It's your mother, how can you be so presumptuous? She is good, generous and she knows the true value of things. You are wrong to disregard her teachings.”

“ _Her teachings? Leia never bothered to teach me anything. She was too busy pursuing her ridiculous crusade… Instead she preferred to exile me to her fanatic brother_ . "

Such sorrow, such resentment and loneliness. Poor Ben ... Through our bond, sense his distress. I can't help but understand it…understand _him_.

Who else can know what is the pain caused by the absence of a father and a mother?

" _I forbid you to complain! Your pity, your miserable compassion makes me sick. Your pseudo empathy is only an illusion caused by your weakness. I don't need her. I am Kylo Ren, I am powerful. I have nothing in common with a miserable plunderer of wrecks_ . "

I feel him withdraw from my mind abruptly.

"Hold on ! Please, stay! it's not too late to follow the right path! "

Only the echo of my voice answered me. He left. I am cold, as it’s if his departure had blown an icy wind on me. I bring my arms around my body and drop onto the damp soil of the Dagobah marshes.

I open my eyes. The worried faces of Poe, Finn and Rose are leaning over me. In the background come the lamentations of C3PO.

"Oh dear, oh dear, this is not good ... Master Luke should be there ..."

R2 chirped in response.

"But no, R2D2, I'm not being dramatic. "

Finn takes my hands in his.

"Rey? Is everything alright ? You lost consciousness suddenly, we were worried. "

Instinctively, I slip out of his embrace, which forces him to remain silent as sadness spreads across his features. I didn't want to upset him or even hurt him. It's just that after what I just shared with Kylo, the contact of another person is unbearable to me.

"What happened ? "

General Organa. I cannot avoid her inquisitive look. No one can, and I don't want to.

"Kylo Ren", I croak, sounding miserable to even my ears.

The General's dark eyes light up for a moment before she resumes her mask of stoicism.

"Does he know where we are?"

“No, I do not think so.”

“Good. What did he want? What did he say? "

How can I tell her what I didn't know myself? How to repeat his hurtful words, his lack of remorse? Leia may be our General and my Master, she is also his mother. I omit a part of the truth, saying instead:

" I do not know. As for what he told me ... Nothing more than threats. "

A worried look graces her face. She doesn't believe me, I feel it. However, she plasters on a forced smile.

"Very good, as long as he doesn't know where we are… You managed to climb over 20 meters and stay there, Rey. I knew you would be able to do it. Well done, you are progressing quickly and well in your training. "

Twenty meters? It is more than I have ever achieved. However, in spite of the pride displayed by Master Organa, I can’t help but feel perturbed, which, I suspect, is a sentiment she shares.

To what extent is this sudden accomplishment linked to my connection with Kylo Ren?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to this story! 
> 
> If you feel that the language of the characters is differently structured than canon, that is because this is the literal translation of a French fanfiction...with slight edits. And Français is a more eloquent language. 
> 
> If you do comprendre French, check out the original version. 
> 
> Thank you JessSwann for allowing me to translate!
> 
> Chapters will be posted daily...do leave your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for reading!


	2. Kylo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We now see a lot sad Space Darcy brooding over his bond *cough*soul*cough* mate and adjusting to his new role as the Supreme Leader.

****

**CHAPTER 2**

**Kylo Ren**

Damn that scavenger! May she be consumed by the Light which she so vainly seeks to reach! 

She…she thinks she understands me? How _dare_ she.

She has never had parents, what does she know about the pain of being exiled by her family, caged like a beast in the middle of other "padawans" without the slightest affection or the slightest sign of recognition on the part of an uncle who cannot be called "uncle" but only Master? 

I don't have a Master, I'm done with all that rubbish.

Damn Rey! Why does she have to keep worming into my thoughts? 

Why does she have to be a student of my- of Leia?

What does she see in her that she has not seen in me? This poor girl, this little wretch, she is _nothing_! 

Insignificant parents, ridiculous abilities and she has become the little protege, the "padawan" of Leia Organa? 

No, but let me laugh! What does Ma- Leia- think she is accomplishing by taking her under her wing? Does she really think this insignificant thing can stand up to me? This, this ...

Why do I have to keep thinking about her?

Why does she intrigue me so much? When will I get it out of my mind? Her looks lack refinement, she is of inelegant form and she never stops smiling with saccharinity that is revolting . 

She epitomizes everything I hate. 

I abhor her feigned compassion and her hazel eyes that with emotion. I retch at this forced kindness and her supposed concern for others. 

Why does she not understand that only order and power must exist in this galaxy? Why does she insist on fighting me when I can have her at my knees with a flick of my finger? 

Why do I hesitate so much to break the bond?

"Supreme Leader? "

Pryde ... This crude fool ... How dare he come to interrupt my thoughts?

"What?"

I want to strangle him, no, gut him, plunge my saber into his belly and feel it sink into his soft flesh.

"There are rumours spreading ..."

Rumours? Am I supposed to care? I clench my jaw.

"And this concerns me why?”

“It is said that we, the First Order, have finally weakened, ready to be crushed by a power that many call the Final Order. "

The what? My fist tightens, almost in spite of myself. In front of me, Pryde arches, gasps, suffocates ... His eyes express abject terror. I release the hold of the Force on his windpipe.

"What are you talking about? What is this order?

“The Final Order is under the command of Palpatine. He's a Sith Lord. "

Seriously? He really thinks I don't know who Palpatine is? I especially know that he is dead, wiped out by the Force that ran through the veins of my grandfather, Darth Vader.

"Darth Sidious disappeared years ago, pathetic fool."

Pryde's derisive smile makes me want to explode it.

"In this case, why is it said that Exegol is about to send a fleet of destroyers to the galaxy?"

Exegol… the mythical planet of the Sith… Nobody knows where it is, or even in which system. 

Could there be some truth in Pryde's allegations? Would grandfather have failed? After all, it would not be so surprising, he was weakened by his traitorous son Luke… 

Pryde's face, a mixture of submission and triumph, cements my choice. I have to find Exegol and, if necessary, finish what my grandfather started. I will not let anyone get in the way of my supremacy.

* * *

My saber tears, cuts, wipes out ... Its red glow warms me. It is the sign of my power, of my superiority. Since no one succeeds in loving me, I still prefer to be feared. And, in this, I excel. I don't know who my enemies are, are they Leia Organa's minions? I doubt. Opponents? Knights in the pay of the so-called Dark Sidious? I don't care in the end. The only thing that matters is that I dominate them.

" _What a savage brute ..._ "

The disgust she feels strikes me hard. What right does she have to judge me? Who does she think she is?

" _Well ...”_

“Stop! Ben is dead, dead, you hear! He died when Han Solo and your precious Leia Organa exiled him to an overzealous and paranoid Jedi."

Why did I say that? What came over me? Where does this suffering that paralyzes me come from?

One of my attackers takes advantage of it and I have to dig deep inside to tear myself away from Rey's sickening compassion to counter his attack.

Tear, slice, wiped out. Be the strongest. The other collapses, reduced to nothing by the power of my sword.

Tear, slice, wiped out. Tear, slice, wiped out. No one is trying to challenge me now. My gaze barely touches the ground strewn with bodies. They don't count, they don't count anymore. Thanks to this Sith wayfinder I will find Exegol. Once there, I will destroy the Final Order. No obstacle will stand between me and my triumph. My reign. I will continue the work of Anakin, I will honour Darth Vader. I am his only, legitimate, heir.

" _A_ _nakin turned away from the dark side, Ben, he understood that it was not the right way. Because of Palpatine and the Sith, he lost Padmè. He almost lost Luke and Leia. But, at the last moment, he managed to find the path of Light. To save her son, to save your mother. It's not too late for you, please Ben, come back_ . "

What does she think she knows about my story or that of my grandfather? 

Can't she see how Luke Skywalker made a fool out of her? 

The virtuous, immaculate, wise Luke Skywalker ... A Jedi so exemplary, so perfect, that to consolidate his belief on the bright side of the Force he would not have hesitated to remove anyone standing in the way he had fixed. 

I remember that night. I remember the green glow of his lightsaber above me. 

I remember my fear, my sorrow, the sting of betrayal when I realized that my uncle had come to kill me. 

All because he feared my power. 

Luke always made sure to destroy those who did not espouse his doctrine, his pseudo-purity, those who were more powerful than him. 

An impostor, a fanatical hypocrite ready to do anything to proselytize those weak enough to listen to him. Like Han Solo... Like Leia...

They left me to him.

They left him all the power. Because Luke was so powerful ... the Force lived in him, he was the Force. NO, Luke, you were nothing! You fooled Anakin, you knew how to take advantage of his weakness, his need to be loved, his desire to protect his family. And, faced with the same choice, you did not hesitate. You would have sacrificed me if the Force in me was already no more powerful than it ever was for you.

All this in the name of the Jedi. of his need to be loved, of his desire to protect his family. And, faced with the same choice, you did not hesitate.

You would have sacrificed me if the Force in me was no more powerful than it ever was for you. All this in the name of the Jedi. of his need to be loved, of his desire to protect his family. And, faced with the same choice, you did not hesitate. You would have sacrificed me if the Force in me was already no more powerful than it ever was for you. All this in the name of the Jedi.

" _Luke made a mistake. Everyone is makes mistakes, Ben, but there is always a way to come back_. "

I see her as if she were standing in front of me. She is all dressed in white, the Jedi uniform. However, this vision does not revolt me as much as I would have thought. 

Her gaze is filled with sadness. 

Why? Why is she refusing to join me? I don't want to be her enemy. 

I want her. I want to strip her of those infamous Jedi tinsel. 

I want to touch her. I want to feel her skin against mine. 

I want her.

Rey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Kylo Ren is being an idiot right now, but don't worry, it gets better...kind of...
> 
> If I haven't mentioned this before, a competed, French version of this story is available both on ao3, fanfiction.net, and the original author JessSwann's website :  
> https://www.jessswann.com/fan-fictions-autres-fan-dom/fiction-longue-star-wars-l-ascension-de-palpatine/chapitre-2-kylo-ren/
> 
> The next chapter will be out tomorrow.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Rey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Greatly saddened by the shortcomings of Ben Solo, Rey begins seeing Kylo Ren in a new light...while also finding herself amidst Drama At The Resistance BaseTM. The Resistance receives some shocking news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amazing chapter headers were made by JessSwann, the original author, and since they were for the French version they are in French...so 'Chapitre' is 'Chapter' in English.

****

**Chapter 3**

**Rey**

_**Dagobah,** _

Such carnage… Such _unrepentant_ massacre!

I see him as clearly as if he were standing in front of me. Camped steadily on his legs, the sword swiftly takes another life. Friend or enemy doesn't matter to him, only domination and death drive him.

But still…

I can't help but understand it. He is so lonely, so sad, so abandoned. He did not understand how much the General loves him, how much she dreams of another fate for her only son.

Through his memories, I see Master Skywalker again, his sword brandished, ready to strike him dead. 

I feel Ben's terror and pain. 

I understand. This is the moment that made him turn to the Dark Side. What he will forever remember as his uncle's betrayal. 

What a shame. Deep inside me, I know that Master Skywalker would never have been able to strike down sister’s son. 

He was a Jedi and the Jedi are he guardians of peace and justice, they don't destroy, they don’t _murder_. 

Yes, he had hesitated, he had never denied it, but he would never have bought down his lightsaber on an innocent child, even less so his nephew.

"Rey, I need to talk to you ..."

Finn. Again. Despite my efforts to avoid him, he keeps coming back. 

I love him very much but, I am afraid of hearing his confession. I fear he feels more than friendship towards me. I hope not, I hope that my intuition deceives me, but if it is not the case, I do not want to be forced to hurt his feelings. 

I am a Jedi apprentice. Romantic attachments are forbidden. However, even without this rule, I would never be able to return his affection. 

Finn is a friend, a kind of brother to me. He will always be just that.

"Where are we ? Have Chewie and Poe returned from their mission?”

“Not yet. But, Rey ... I have to talk to you ...”

“ _Millennium Falcon_ in sight! " a voice interrupts.

Under the effect of exaltation, Rose embraces Finn which emerges without softness.

“Rose, we were in the middle of an important discussion. "

Rose's smile fades and I look away so as to not embarrass her any further. How can Finn not realize that she is in love with him?

"I see, forgive me for interrupting you," she replies tartly, before turning on her heels and walking away.

Finn opens his mouth, ready to speak, but I don't let him.

"They certainly bring important news, we’d better hurry up."

“Of course, Rey ... Let's go. "

His disappointment and resignation did not escape me. But it’s too late to back down.

Poe has a serious face when he steps down. Behind him, Chewie seems to carry all the misery of the galaxy on his shoulders. Something serious has happened, I can feel it. I follow suit as they rush towards the General.

"We need to talk to you, right now," demands Poe, white as a sheet.

Leia exhales a long sigh and signals them to follow her.

" What happened ?”

“The worst thing possible. Our informants warned us that a destroyer had destroyed Corellia. It has been wiped from the Galaxy. ”

Corellia, the planet where Han Solo was born…

At this revealtion, Leia Organa wavers slightly before recovering.

"Are you certain this is true ?"

Chewie responds with a sorrowful moan and Leia puts a hand on his hairy arm.

"At least, this news will not hurt him. Han would have been so sorry to hear that.”

“General, most of our fleet was hidden there,” a hint of despair permeates Poe’s usually confident voice. 

“Oh Mistress Leia, we have lost, lost!" laments C3PO, echoing what we all think without daring to say it out loud.

Finn clenched his fists.

"The Supreme Leader must be neutralized as soon as possible, the Resistance cannot allow him to continue his crimes!" "

The words come out of my mouth before I have had time to hold them back.

"It is not him. Kylo would never have done this!”

“It isn’t?” laughs Finn. “Do you hear yourself Rey? Of course it was him, who else could be crazy enough to do such a thing? "

I don't know how to explain to them where my belief comes from, but I'm sure Kylo is not the culprit. It is not him, impossible.

“The First Order does not have such a power, I argue in desperation. A superweapon capable of destroying an entire planet has not been seen since the Death Star.

“Rey is right,” intervenes Poe. “According to our informants, this attack was claimed by an organization which calls itself the Final Order."

Suddenly, General Organa jolts in surprise.

"Does that mean anything to you?"

“No, but ... I feel something…a great imbalance in the Force.”

"I have a bad feeling about this,” Poe mutters.

General ignores him and turns to me.

"Did you feel it too?" "

I shake my head negatively and swallow my saliva. I do not have the courage to admit to him that my bond with Kylo Ren is so strong that it destroys all my other perceptions of the Force. Frowning, Leia stares at me for a few seconds before turning to Poe.

"Take a little rest, I'll see what our allies can learn about this Final Order." "

Finn approaches me.

"I don't understand what's going on with you. You have changed. How can you stand up for Ren? What does it matter if he pressed the button himself or only gave the order? He is our enemy. "

He's starting to make me angry. A powerful rage surges through me.

"And I didn't know you knew me so well, Finn!" 

Finally, I want to say it to his face.

”that's what you think ... If you really knew me, you would know that I am not the type to condemn an innocent on simple presumptions!”

“An innocent? I can't believe you would say such a thing! The bastard killed his own father to join the Dark Side! Rey, he is a monster! He massacred the Jedi apprentices! Children!” he was shouting now.

"Maybe he had his reasons," I mumble before walking away.

I don't want to talk about Kylo with Finn, or anyone. 

They all hate him, condemn him, even Leia. After what I saw in his memories, I begin to understand what pushed Ben to the Dark Side.


	4. Kylo Ren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Space Darcy finally meets his girlfriend's (sort of alive) family. Our space couple has a 'We need to talk' moment.

**CHAPTER 4**

**Kylo Ren**

* * *

_**Destroyer Steadfast,** _

Corellia no longer exists. 

I can't say it hurts me. I broke all my ties to Han Solo a long time ag. Still, I can't help but think of Mama. After what happened to Alderaan, the story must seem to have come to a cruel circle to her.

“The Final Order claimed responsibility for this attack. "

Pryde again. He is smug, I can sense it. He thinks I'm weak. 

He is wrong. No one can stand in my way.

In my hand, I hold the wayfinder to Exegol, the legendary home world of the Sith. 

Once I reach there, I will destroy this pseudo figurehead who takes himself for Palpatine, just like I destroyed Snoke. 

The Force is with me as it has never been in person, except my grandfather. 

But, I will not end up like him.

Rey’s cries and Leia's tears can do nothing against me, and neither can this fake Sith Lord.

_**Exagol,** _

The air is saturated with heat despite the frigid appearance of the planet. Rocks as far as the eye can see and incessant cosmic storms. This place is remote and doesn’t want to be found. 

But I have found it and I will raze this Final Order to the barren ground. 

Once this is done, I will ensure the end of the Resistance. All this has lasted too long.

Under the surface, the heat is even more unbearable but it is here that my enemy awaits. I feel it. I use the Force to find him.

The base is secure and well-armed. 

A lightsaber rests on an altar. Everything in me is called towards it. I reach out. I recognize it without ever having seen it. 

It belonged to Darth Vader.

"Are you certain you deserve it, young Solo?" 

I recoil when I hear that contemptuous ridicule. 

I'm _not_ Ben Solo. 

Ben Solo died when Luke Skywalker tried to kill him.

My hand closes on the saber and the crimson blade lights up the mausoleum in which I find myself.

"I'm not here to talk."

I thrust myself onto him but a sharp, invisible blade swipes at my legs.

"Impulsive...just like my former apprentice Vader. Another trait he passed on to you, I suppose. "

Palpatine… it's really him. Even if he is hooked onto pipes that keep him alive, he is strong with the Force. But not so much that I can't defeat him.

"Stop, your power doesn't interest me. There is something else I ask of you. If you bring it to me, I would make you the uncontested ruler of the entire galaxy. The new Emperor.”

“I already am. What you offer me holds no significance.”

He chuckles darkly. “Indeed. However, it seems to me that there is still a threat you face. The Resistance. I can help you end it."

Who does he take me for? A weak child? Does he think I need him to defeat a handful of left wing extremists?

Palpatine just sneers and, with a twist of his frail wrist, he unearths an entire fleet of destroyers.

"Hundreds of ships, armed with the firepower capable of destroying your enemies as I did Corellia." 

With such a weapon, no one would ever dare challenge me. Never.

"What do you want from me?”

“That you succeed there my apprentice Snoke failed. "

What? Snoke was his apprentice? How could I not know this?

Darth Sidious smirked.

"Did you really think Snoke trained you alone? Of course not, he has been my puppet for years. Everything he told you, all the knowledge he gave you, the powers he taught you to master, it was under my command. I was the one who made you Kylo Ren. And what I have done, I can undo… Don't make the same mistake as Vader, don't be weak. This is what cost him his power and his life. "

The threat is palpable.

"What do you want?”

“Bring me my granddaughter."

Granddaughter? Sidious has a granddaughter? What use would she even be to him?

"As you can see, this body cannot sustain me for much longer. I must restore myself to my former glory. Bring her to me and my army is yours to command."

Thanks to this army, I am sure I am invincible. No one will dare try to harm me. Just in exchange for a miserable girl.

"Where is she ?"

Palpatine stares at me.

"I don't know, but you just might, Kylo Ren. Just use your bond to find her."

Then it clicks…No...Not her, not Rey. 

I can't, I don't want to leave her to him. 

Imagining him getting his hands on her, extracting her strength is unbearable.

I will never bring her to him.

"I thought she was nobody."

Sidous gives me a disdainful scoff.

"Another secret that the Skywalker twins kept from you. They have always known about it. They always knew who she was and where she was. They have been keeping an eye on her for years. Do you really believe that Leia Organa came across her by chance? She is the apprentice they have always wanted. The power that she inherited from me flows into her and gives her more power than that miserable Luke Skywalker ever had."

I lower my blade. 

So Rey is a Palpatine.

My parents knew it, my uncle knew it.

Yet it was me he tried to kill, it was me they exiled. She is the one they welcomed with open arms. Anger overwhelms me and I feel the Force crackling in me.

"Unleash your rage," Sidious says. “Think of everything they did to make sure she joined them. Separate her from her parents, place her under the supervision of their proxies... All this to keep an eye on her and use it when the time comes. When she would be awakened to the Force. "

Luke and Leia? Did they separate a child from her parents? Impossible… No Jedi could do such a thing.

Sidous bursts out with a maniacal laugh.

"I thought that, after all this time, you had understood. Under their righteous arrogances, the Jedi are nothing other than a sect of fanatics ready to do anything to impose their dogmatic views on the world. They are the ones who are unnatural. They who separate and divide. The Sith have always fought against them in the name of our ideology: Peace is a lie. There is only passion,”

Words form alone on my lips and flow through my mouth:

“Through passion, I get strength. "

I can't help thinking of Rey saying these words

“By strength, I gain power. By power, I gain victory. By victory my chains are broken. The Force will set me free”, continues Sidous.

“Break your Kylo Ren chains. Forget once and for all the nonsense of your childhood and become a man, become a full Sith. Give me the girl who took your place with the princess and her Jedi brother. "

I clench my fists. I am overcome with another seething bust of rage.

I think about how they all accepted Rey. 

Han even left her the controls of the _Millennium Falcon_. My mother herself trains her. Mama, who was too always to busy to teach me herself and instead sent me to Luke. And Luke, he made her his apprentice while he rejected me and tried to kill me. 

She took my family. She took my place.

"Bring her to me and you will have your revenge. Think of all that I will let you do to her once I have obtained what I expect from her,” encourages Darth Sidious. “She will be entirely at your mercy, kneeling before you. "

Make her bow. What humiliation will that bring Leia! Seeing her little protege obey me.

"I'll bring her back to you." 

It is out of the question to offer her to Darth Sidious. 

Rey will be mine and together we will get rid of the Final Order. 

We will finish what Vader started. 

Then we will rule the galaxy.

_**Destroyer Steadfast,** _

Quinn, gives me a quaint look.

"Are you all right, Supreme Leader?" 

I have had enough of this idiot. The Force crackles in me. I reach out in his direction and I have the pleasure of seeing him rise a few meters from the ground. He twists in the air like the wretched earthworm he is. A little pressure on his windpipe ...

Quinn's eyes are almost popping out of the sockets now.

A simple twist of the hand and it falls on the ground, with a broken neck.

"General Pryde, you have become my second in command, try not to disappoint me. "

I do not linger to observe his reaction. I have better things to do. I need to find Rey.

* * *

Eyes closed, I take a deep breath and pull at the Force bond. 

A dull rage responds to me like an echo of my feelings.

I see her. 

She runs amidst …marshes? Where is she?

Her movements are nervous, unrefined. Something is disturbing her.

I reach out towards her and we find ourselves face to face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed that, for the purpose of this story, the events of TROS (Kylo heading to Exagol) have been preponed. 
> 
> *In Anakin Skywalker's voice*: This is where the fun begins
> 
> As always, I'm grateful to JessSwann for being amazing and letting me translate this fic xoxoxo
> 
> Your comments give us life~


	5. Rey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our space babies finally have an overdue chat. Bitter revelations of truth and instinctive violence follows.

****

**CHAPTER 5**

**Rey**

* * *

**_Dagobah,_ **

He appears to me when I least expect it. Startled, I tighten my grip on my lightsabre.

"You again! What do you want ?"

His expression morphs with annoyance, " _If you think I_ like _to find myself hurtled into your miserable everyday life ..._ "

I scowl too, but I know I have to ask him.

"Why did you destroy Corellia?" 

I'm still sure it's him, but I need to hear it from his mouth. 

I want him to tell me, to reassure me that there is still good in him, that he would never do such a thing.

" _I have nothing to do with the obliteration of that planet even if I do not deplore it._ "

He is innocent, I knew it! I was right to believe in him…

I consider Poe’s intel for a moment.

"What do you know about the Final Order?"

“ _Everything._ "

I raise my lightsabre in his direction, carefully contemplating his answer.

"Who is behind this name?"

To my perplexion, he lowers his gaze for a moment, as if he were sorry, before staring at me intently.

" _If you want to know, join me. I will show you_.”

“Do you think I'm stupid enough to fall into your trap? "

His lips slightly curve upwards. Slightly, into a mirthful smirk.

" _Are you afraid? Good ... you are beginning to understand that you are no match for me._ "

Really ?

I focus on our bond and I find myself projected aboard a destroyer. In front of me, I see a a half-melted helmet. My eyes widen when I recognize it, it belonged to Darth Vader. He is too infamous for me to be wrong.

"A family relic?”

“Lest I forget the heritage of my blood“ he retorts back.

Like always, at the mention of family, I feel a painful twinge in my chest. I school my expression into indifference.

"Too bad you only take into account the part that suits you." 

" _Coming from you, I find it rather ironic_ ."

“Why ? Because I am nothing? Nobody?”

He raises his eyebrows, _“No…well, your parents were nobody. But your grandfather…”_

I don't understand, since when does he speak in these infuriating riddles? Where was he? What does he know that I don’t?

He walks towards me. He so close, I can see his eyes. The warm deep brown pools with flecks of gold twinkle with a complex emotion I can’t place.

He comfortingly puts his hand on my shoulder, gently running his thumb over my skin. I feel its heat on my skin.

I recoil from a sudden gesture, breaking the spell. An indecipherable pout deforms his features for a brief moment, then he steps back.

"You pretend you have things to teach me, so do it. Or, is it one of your tricks to draw me away from my friends? "

Is he trying to save time by anchoring me here through our link? Is his fleet in orbit, ready to attack? 

" _It is not a trap, I would have no interest in driving you away, you are not strong enough to fight against my army."_

“So the only reason I'm here is that you're looking for someone to talk with? "

I have the momentary satisfaction of seeing him flinch from the joust. Immediately, I chastise myself for my unkindness. 

Mocking his solitude is probably not the best way to bring him back to the Light. 

I pace toward him, before I stop. Touching him would make things too uncertain. Even if I'm dying to.

I return to less tumultuous terrain:

"You said you knew everything about the Final Order. Who is behind it?”

“ _So the only reason you are here is that you are looking for soe intel? Clearly, the Resistance spy network has fallen very low…_ ”

I try to hold back a smile at his jests. I wordlessly stare back. I don't want him to know how fond I am of our playful banter.

" _Palpatine_ ," he says.

That kills the mood. What?

"Emperor Palpatine? He has been dead for a long time. Anakin Skywalker killed him when he turned back the Light, you know as well as I do. Better, possibly.”

“ _He survived.”_

“That’s not possible”

“ _The dark side is a pathway to many abilities that some consider unnatural. What do you know of the Dark side?”_

“I know that what you say is impossible.”

“ _He's alive, his body is weak but, believe me, he is powerful. He is the Final Order.”._

“In that case, I will find him and I will kill him.”

“ _You can't do it alone. Join me, by combining our powers, we will defeat him_ ."

While speaking, he drew near me and suddenly, I am more than ever aware of his proximit. If we were really face to face, it would only take me a small step to brush against his lips ... My heart accelerates at this idea and I force myself to back away.

"I will _never_ join Kylo Ren. But, I can work with Ben Solo. "

This time, he tenses up, his face distorted by rage.

" _Stop calling me that,_ Ben _is dead.”_

“No, he's still there. He is _you_. Please, stop this, your incessant yearning for power…all in the name of Vader. Accept the inheritance of your blood, it is more than darkness, more than Vader. Ben, come _home_." My voice cracked at the end, emotions gripping at my throat and impairing my ability to speak

He clenched his fists before looking at me. All anger disappeared from his eyes, replaced by a cruel coldness.

" _What about your inheritance, Rey?"_

Another cryptic allusion to my origins... I don't understand what he is trying to tell me.

" _You really don't know who you are_? _"_

Tears blur my vision. Must he make me say it? We’ve already had this conversation. I am nothing, my parents are dead, and I’ll know nothing about them except that they sold me for drinking money. Does he not see it hurts me? He doesn’t care.

"No one, you told me ...”

“ _Your parents were nobody. Your grandfather, on the other hand…_ ”

A sudden migraine twists my temples. I feel weak, the world spins around me and I feel like I'm about to pass out.

" _You remember more than you say... You repress it or you have suffered a memory impairment but deep down, you know_ . "

I feel more and more confused. My heart is on the edge of my lips.

"What do you mean by that ? What do you know about my grandfather? "

I feel so bad that my voice is reduced to an almost inaudible whisper.

" _You are a Palpatine, Rey. Sith power flows through your veins. You were born to serve the Dark Side_ . "

For a fraction of a second, I see myself, completely dressed in black, a red lightsaber in the right hand and the left in that of Kylo Ren. 

No never! It is a trick, a trap, a mental manipulation. 

How dare he use my desperation to have a family like this? 

Rage overwhelms me at this thought and I stretch my hands towards him to push him away.

"You’re **lying**!"

Bolts of lightning burst out of my palms and Kylo Ren is thrown against the wall.

Flashes of Power... Sith power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Ben..
> 
> Oh how they hurt each other.
> 
> You can now find 'The Rise Of Palpatine' on fanfiction.net here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13636052/1/The-rise-of-Palpatine
> 
> And on JessSwann's website: https://www.jessswann.com/fan-fictions-autres-fan-dom/fiction-longue-star-wars-the-rise-of-palpatine/
> 
> Shout out to Jess, who has been nothing but patient and kind in all our interactions <3
> 
> Next chapter will be out tomorrow, thanks for reading!


	6. Kylo Ren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our space babies make up. almost, but they don't. Rey is sad and confused. The First Order heads towards the Rebel's last stand. Also, Ginger General is an unwilling participant in slight breathplay.

**CHAPTER 6**

**Kylo Ren**

* * *

_**Destroyer Steadfast,** _

I don't know how long I've been unconscious, but when I open my eyes, two stormtroopers are hovering over me.

I belatedly register the acrid burns stinging my chest. I press a few fingers to my side, wincing at the contact. I could feel the blood seeping through my tunic. This is not good. This _hurts_.

Rey’s outburst caught me by surprise. I didn’t expect her to lash out like that.

"What do you want ?" I hiss out and I get up, furious to have been seen weakened on the ground by these imbeciles and even more so to have been caught unaware.

"Supreme Leader, we were worried about you. You've been unconscious for several minutes,” says Pryde behind me.

As always, he is flanked by Hux. I grit my teeth when I sense the nuance of triumph of this idiot Pryde. I should never have replaced Quinn. He hates me. I briefly entertain the notion of choking him, but I don’t. I have no other replacement at the moment.

"Certain powers require great concentration, something that may be beyond your comprehension."

I am deliberately vague, I want him to understand that his place will always be below me.

“Of course, Supreme Leader. My apologies for disturbing you in deep mediation... If I have allowed myself to do so, it is to share with you information of vital importance.”

“Let me be the judge of that. "

He is not fooled by my weak explaination. At the slightest sign of weakness, he will betray me, I know it. Pryde is like everyone else…

“Our agents believe they have located the main base of the rebels. "

My chest burns and I feel that my armour is soaked in blood. But I cannot show weakness.

“And where would that be?

“On an unsettled planet in the outer rim called Dagobah. "

Dagobah... Obviously. 

The planet on which Luke Skywalker trained with master Yoda.

I recognize that as the rare, nostalgic side of Leia. Only symbols count in her eyes, only her precious twin is important. I know well enough…

"Should I give orders to attack them Supreme Leader?" Hux's sniping voice cuts in.

"Not yet. "

He cries out in protest.

I can’t say that it doesn’t give me a small amount of vindictiveness, even though I can’t imagine why did I say that.

"We can’t guarantee the reliability of our source," I continue. “It may be a trap, and it would not be the first time."

Pryde struggles to hide a contemptuous grin and the two stormtroopers exchange a look.

They think I'm afraid, they think I'm weak.

“To destroy them would still be too merciful, I want to capture them, execute them with a public spectacle. Show the galaxy what happens to those who dare to oppose us"

My justification sounds wrong, but I am in too much pain to care. For now, the only thing I want is for them to get out of this room.

"Supreme Leader Snoke has always ordered that we destroy them at the earliest opportunity," objected Hux.

Who does this idiot think he is? How dare he question my orders! Rage consumes me and I seize the Force to strangle him.

"It seems to me that his lack of caution cost Snoke dearly ... I do not intend to follow his example. Would you question my orders? "

Half-suffocated and with a purple face, Hux emits a gurgling sound that signals his submission. I release it with slight regret.

“Order our fleet to approach the Outer Rim, we will not attack.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” croaks Hux while glancing at Pryde.

I dismiss them with a gesture.

Why are they taking so long to get out! I feel my legs wobbling, I can't take it anymore, I have to tend to my wound, quickly!

As soon as they leave, I take off my armor and tear my shirt. The cloth is crusted with blood. My shoulder burns and the simple act of running my hand over it makes me want to scream. Why am I even surprised at this point?

My hand is shaking as I reach for a clean cloth. I feel as weak as that night on Ahch-To.

" _I didn't mean to hurt you ... I'm sorry, Ben._ "

I jolt upright, hissing in pain at the sudden movement.

I didn't even feel the bond opening. Is the Force no longer with me?

"Of course, nothing is more selfless and light-sided than Sith Lightning. It would seem, despite all that time you waste trying to turn me, you finally decided to follow your former master’s footsteps and finish what Luke started? "

My wisecrack hits home and I see her deflate. She approaches, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. Her white tunic forms a halo of light around her. 

She is splendid. I want her so bad.

" _This is not what I wanted_ . _I don't understand... I didn't think we could touch each other physically, I mean, through our bond. "_

To tell the truth, I also hadn’t considered that such a thing was possible. She tentatively glances at me, looking lost.

" _I don't know why this, this power came out of me_ ."

Her words ring true in the force. She didn’t want to hurt me. It has shaken her, made her afraid, not of me, not of the dark side…she is afraid of herself. She needs help.

She is so upset that her hazel eyes fog with tears. 

They appear lighter, almost green. I force myself to come to my senses. How important is the color of her eyes? Her conflict is a weapon that I intend to turn in my favour.

"Really ? It seems to me that it is obvious. You let the power of your blood run through you”

“ _I am not a Sith, I cannot be a Sith_ ."

Her face reveals the intensity of his torment. She hesitates, I can feel it. I was right to delay the attack, I can convince her to join me.

"Yet you are using the powers of the Dark Side ... I'm sure it was easier for you than limiting yourself to the teachings of Luke or Leia. "

She does not answer but I sense her confusion. She has doubts ...

" _Did you tell the truth? About my family?_

“I have no reason to lie to you, Rey.”

“ _Really?”_ She said dryly, wiping away stray tears,“ _No reason, except to persuade me to join you of course ..._ ”

“I'm not the one who manipulates you ... "

I would like to continue, reveal to her what the Skywalkers did to her, but a flash of pain pierces my shoulder and I can't help grunting. 

Rey's face crumples with concern. Unexpectedly, I feel her warm palm against my wound.

" _I didn't mean to hurt you_ ," she repeats.

A gentle warmth spreads over my shoulder before reaching the rest of my body. To feel her so close to me is both exhilarating and terrifying. 

I want her so much that I could give up everything for her right now. I can almost feel her breath against my face. I feel my flesh stitch together, the pain drains out of me. I look into her eyes. 

She does not turn away and, through our bond, I feel her uncertainty. 

"We know you are on Dagobah, our fleet is approaching. The Resistance will be wiped out shortly. Join me before it's too late. "

Why did I say that? Why did I warn her?

Her face hardens and his hand leaves my chest, I mourn loss of contact.

" _So, I was right, it was all a trap to locate us ... What an idiot I am!"_

“No, Rey, wait… ”

She disappeared, leaving me alone with the melted vestige of the mask of Darth Vader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, why Kylo? Why? 
> 
> I love the ANGST Rey puts herself through, like even in the movie when she stabs her boyfriend she realises she is dark and decides to become lonely space hermit #2 till Uncle Luke snaps her out of it.
> 
> This story is now available on wattpad. JUST TO BE CLEAR ITS NOT A WATTPAD STORY THOUGH PLEASE DON'T RUN AWAY, THERE IS NO HARRY BIEBER X READER IN THIS STORY.
> 
> (Forgive the theatrics lol XD, Issa joke okie)
> 
> The amazing JessSwann has posted it! Check it out there if you use wattpad!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be up tomorrow.


	7. Rey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance evacuates the base, as Rey struggles with the new emotions her darkness has bought to light,

**CHAPTER 7**

**Rey**

* * *

"Mistress Rey, Mistress Rey! Oh, Maker, she's not waking up. Is she alright? ”

BB8 chirps in response. I open my eyes tersely, still reeling from my encounter with Ben. Is it true? Am I a Palpatine? I don’t believe it…

"Rey, are you okay?"

Finn's worried voice snaps me to reality. 

Whatever Kylo Ren has revealed to me, true or false, it can wait. A more tangible threat comes our way.

"The First Order, they discovered our hiding place, we must leave. At once.”

“Oh dear, we are all going to die!"

If the situation weren't so dire, 3PO’s antics might have made me smile. Unfortunately, I cannot disregard Kylo's claims. 

Just then, Rose rushes up to us, looking distressed and apprehensive.

“First Order’s Star Destroyers have departed from the rim!”

“General, what do we do?” Poe exclaims in alarm, sight darting to Leia.

I hear the anguished sound she makes, withdrawn and wane. 

What happened? 

She couldn’t have felt my lightening…could she?

I don't want to disappoint her, nor to disgrace her. She is like the mother I never had.

“General!” Poe cries out.

R2D2 joins the small crowd. I hear C3PO say, ”Princess Leia seems to be ill…after all, the if the cruisers retreat, it can only mean they have found us…and we are all going to die!”

I can't take the pessimistic pronouncements of this droid anymore!

"Shut up, C3PO!" Everyone has had more than enough of your dreadful proclamations. Make yourself useful for change, go help Kaydel in the Evacuation!"

A deathly silence greets my outburst.

Never have I spoken so harshly to anyone. The droid straightens his metal shoulders, indicating that he is hurt and silently turns away. I can't leave him like this.

I sigh, massaging my temples "I’m sorry, C3PO, I'm sorry. I lost my temper. I’m sorry…but we need hope right now, the truth is really discouraging" 

C3PO stares at me before shaking his head, "Of course, it doesn't matter, Mistress Rey. I understand, this must be really stressful for organic sentients too.”

“Are you sure everything is fine, Rey? "

Finn. Again. I cannot escape his intrusive scrutinity. To believe that he spends his time _obsessing_ over me! 

No…how could I even think of such things? Finn is my friend, he cares for me, that's all. 

What is happening to me?

“The Force…there has been another disturbance in the force…I haven’t felt it this unbalanced since…” Leia trails off.

I gulp nervously. She sensed it ... She felt my dormant darkness awakening.

"Darth Sidious… I feel his presence, like he's come back," Leia murmurs.

She looks distraught.

As for me…I’ve never felt so conflicted.

Did Ben tell the truth? Is Emperor Palpatine really my grandfather?

If he is, then he's the only family I have left . I don't know how I feel about this…

Poe interrupts my thoughts, "General, the destroyers are coming for us, we have to evacuate!" 

Leia closes her eyes for a moment, then nods.

"Let everyone board a ship, take what you can, but hurry. None of our belongings are worth sacrificing a life for. "

**_Millennium Falcon,_ **

Chewie howls in delight. The situation may be desperate, but the high of flying doesn’t fail to thrill him. 

I frown involuntarily. Why did I feel angry at that? Absent mindedly, I fiddle with the Navi comp controls.

Poe and Chewie exchange a knowing look and then he puts his hand on my arm.

"I'm sorry ... We didn’t want that."

Great. Is everyone going to walk on eggshells around me?

Ever since the bond last closed…something has changed me. All these feelings of anger and frustration seem to be bubbling up after decades.

Why is everyone so dejected? 

We are not dead! We escaped the Star Destroyers. Our fleet is intact, a miracle considering the imminent danger when we learned of it. Maybe Ben ...

“Let me fly,” Poe urges me.

How does he dare ? I'm a better pilot than he will ever be! I narrowly avoid an asteroid and throw myself into a meteor field.

"You're exhausted, Rey,” Poe chides gently, " You need to rest, we can't afford to lose you. "

A wave of shame submerges me at his concern and I let him take my place. I tremble slightly…this is too much…the dark, it’s changing me. I feel so lost.

"Where's the General?” I ask, she is the only one who can help me. I must tell her the truth.

“In the captain’s quarters, resting. All this has taken a toll on her, if you care to know,” Finn replies.

His tone leaves no room for doubt: he is angry with me.

“I'll see how she feels. " 

I don’t understand why Finn is so angry with me, although I don't have the strength to worry about that. 

Is it because of…? No, it is impossible. He can’t know about Ben.

I suppose I must have done something to offend him, being my clumsy self. I can’t really bring myself to care.

I glumly walk to the bunk room.

“Master Leia, how are you feeling? "

No matter what, I still can't call her Master Skywalker. It doesn’t feel right. That’ll always be Master Luke.

An exhausted sigh answers me and my heart sinks at the obvious weakness of my mentor.

“Don't worry about me, Rey. Everything will be fine, I just feel tired. "

“Are you thinking of…surrender?

"Never," Leia tells me fiercely, “When you are fighting for a noble cause, it is impossible to give up. But, I fear for our future ... The Dark Side has strengthened... "

She knows. I feel shame flushing my cheeks. 

I don't know if it's because of the supposed ancestry that I just discovered or because of the…feelings I underwent in front of Kylo Ren's bare chest… Healing him by putting my hands on him was as instinctive as unnerving. 

He's so massive ... so powerful ... He's the danger and I can't help thinking what it would do to me... Fortunately, Leia interrupts my reverie.

“I'm afraid that it will be impossible to bring my son back to the Light. I sense the Dark Side too deep in him. I don't know how to save him."

Oh… it’s not the Resistance she gave up on, just her _son_.

But, she doesn't know yet. 

She doesn't suspect anything. 

I don't want her to find out about my thoughts of her son, let alone learn about my Sith ancestry. I will not bear that it takes away my confidence and affection.

A tear rolls down Leia's wrinkled cheek and I hate myself for my selfishness. I worry about knowing my secrets leaked as she mourns for her son.

"There is still good in him, I know it ...”

“How can you be so sure? Did your connection allow you to talk to him? “

“Yes, and it was him who warned me of the attack"

I hadn't planned on telling her about our last conversation, but knowing that Kylo warned me might alleviate her fears and maybe give her some hope.

Leia gets confused for a moment and stares at me.

"Really ?”

"He also told me that Palpatine was behind the Final Order, which explains the disturbance we felt in the Force," I couldn't help but add.

Leia shuddered, and the tiny spark of optimism was extinguished.

"So Luke's fears were justified, he survived Vader's assault. "

Vader? Why does she always call him that? After all, he was her father and, in the end, he made the right choice. He was Anakin Skywalker.

"You have to get away from Ben, Rey. "

What? She can’t mean that!

"If Palpatine has corrupted him, it is delusional to hope that he’ll ever be good again. If he warned you of the assault, it was probably to gain your trust so that he could manipulate you. Ben is gone. I’ve known since he killed Han but I refused to admit it to myself. Palpatine's resurrection only substantiates this further."

How can she give up like this? Ben is her only son, her _family_!

"But Master! You can’t- Master Leia, there is still light in him…I’ve _felt_ it.”

She gives me a small, wistful smile, “Maybe…but it’s not enough. I'd like to share your optimism Rey, but Palpatine destroys _everything_ , it's the only truth that flows in his blood. "

I feel my shoulders trembling.

If she knew, what would she think of me?

"Stop talking to him, Rey. Break the bond. Push him away. It's too late, you can't save him, no one can. Now you are the galaxy’s only… ” Leia breathes deeply before closing her eyes, exhausted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am EXTREMELY sorry for not updating for...like...10 days! 
> 
> Unit Tests are horrible. 'Surprise' ones even more so.
> 
> The wonderful JessSwann was very understanding about this! 
> 
> And off, sweet, slightlydark!Rey daydreaming about her boss' son in front of her :'D
> 
> Thanks for reading, we'll get back with regular updates from now. See you tomorrow!


	8. Kylo Ren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey takes Ben's hand...but This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think

**CHAPTER 8**

**Kylo Ren**

* * *

**_  
Steadfast Destroyer,_ **

The Resistance escaped.

Pryde is furious. His face is an unduly shade of red with anger, "They must have been warned! It was a fool proof plan! There is a traitor among us!"

Traitor? Can I be considered a traitor to my own cause? No, certainly not. After all, the First Order serves the Supreme Leader, not the other way around.

"Find the Traitor.” I order, with an unspoken threat hanging in the air.

Pryde regards me silently, before taking his leave and stepping out. Good luck with that! 

Now I can focus on who really matters to me.

Rey.

I need to talk to her, I need her.

I should look for her in the Force. We’re connected, there must be some way to control this link.

* * *

I recognize the _Millennium Falcon._

Despite the separation of my par- Han and Leia, which happened when I was little, I would recognise those corridors, wall panels and windows anywhere.

Han may have only rarely taken me on board, but I can’t ever forget my last trip, the one which brought me to the Jedi Temple, which will forever be the line that separates my fairly happier childhood from the downward descent following Luke’s academy. 

Rey is alone. She watches the galaxy through the dirty trasparisteel window of the ship.

I see Chewbacca and for a split second, and as he turns to me, I have the feeling that he sees me. But that's impossible, he is as force sensitive as a rock.

" _I was expecting you,"_ Rey said without looking back.

Her silhouette stands out affably in the darkness of the cabin where she has made herself at home. I find the sight very agreeable. 

The memory of her warm palm against my skin consumes me. All sense leaves me, my words die in my throat and I find myself incapable of speech.

“ _Thank you, for warning us about the attack_ ” she continues. “ _But, if you think I'm going to let myself fall for it, you underestimate me_ ."

Fall for it? For what ?

Okay, even if I don't know the reasons for her sudden temper. 

"If I'm here, it's because we haven't finished our conversation.”

“ _The one where you tell me I'm supposedly Darth Sidious' granddaughter? I don’t think so, Kylo._ "

She doesn’t- she- I…

I have greatly underestimated her capacity for self-denial! It truly was a miracle she got off that junk planet she trapped herself on, if it wasn’t for the droid, she would still believe her parents were coming for her.

This woman is driving me mad.

"I didn't lie to you. I have no reason to do so.”

“ _No reason except to get me to join your cause,_ ” she snips.

I sight. I don't know how to get her to admit the truth. Maybe…I could…

I walk over to her and reach for her hand, tracing her knuckles with the tip of my fingers.

"I know that somewhere deep inside you remember. I have felt it. I _know_ it.” I gently thread her fingers with mine.

“ _What are you doing?_ "

She doesn’t have much of a reason to trust me, but she does not shy away from my touch anyhow.

"I can help you remember.”

She pulls away, “ _Do you really think I'm stupid enough to let you inside my head!?”_

“Why not?” I say defensively, “At this point, only one of us has tried to kill the other and that isn’t me.”

“ _Of course, dispatching your fleet in pursuit of us is a purely good-natured act on your part ... Just like our little meeting in the forest._ ”

“Must I remind you of the time I killed Snoke instead of getting rid of you like he wanted? ”

“ _Such goodness in your heart!”_ she snarks _. ”I know about the Sith, Kylo. The apprentice kills the master, a rite of passage. You only spared me to be your scapegoat. Couldn’t have the First Order know that the current Supreme Leader killed his predecessor.”_

She…she thinks I _planned_ to do that! Yes, it was convenient to blame Skywalker’s apprentice, but that’s not why I did it.

I did it for her.

We stare at each other for a bit longer, and I hold out my hand.

_Trust me_ , I silently plead across the bond.

She takes my hand and we are thrown into the Walk of Remembrance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter...yes... but the next chapter is going to make up for it by bLoWing yOur MiNd.
> 
> If you can read French, be sure to check out the author JessSwann's current WIP, 'L'apprentissage de la Force'...which would mean 'Learning the Force'. It's your typical post-TLJ fic, but sweetened with a dash of the conflicted master/Apprentice dynamic. I have been obsessed with it for weeks!
> 
> As always, thanks for reading and leaving kudos. Don't forget to comment! See you tomorrow with a juicy chunk of plot ;)


	9. Rey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ben helps Rey remembers something she shouldn't have forgotten (but was made to). The truth is not what any of us thought.

**CHAPTER 9**

**Rey**

* * *

**_Millennium Falcon,_ **

****

The last wisps of rationality in me protest as I place my petite hand in his large, warm one. But it feels so right…

I feel us be pulled away together.

I feel like a tide of the force is urging me inwards. I’m scared, I do not know how to swim! I can’t…I will not drown! I try to pull away, but something firmly anchors me while also keeping me afloat.

" _Do not resist,"_ he advises me. 

I waver under the harsh laps that assault my mind. It’s too powerful. If he doesn’t let go, I will die!

“ _Trust me_ ”

I submit to his control. To him.

Suddenly, everything changes. I’m thrust toward a familiar scene. I’m on Jakku!

* * *

A lump in my throat forms. I recognize my parents. They are standing a few steps from me. I want to scream at them not to abandon me, not to leave me there. I begin to move towards them, but I freeze at the sight.

"You know it's necessary," said Luke.

Master Skywalker? He was there? 

No, this can’t be right…but there is no mistake! Why don’t I remember this?

My mother is sobbing uncontrollably.

Another voice injects, “The midichlorians count in her blood is too high for us to take the risk"

Master Leia? What’s happening?!

My father turns to look at me with sorrow, "She is just a child. Must she pay for her grandfather’s mistakes so dearly?”

"We understand, but the sacrifice is necessary," Leia tells him indifferently.

Her tone is so emotionless, unlike the empathetic, wise general I have come to know.

Is this even Master Leia? The resemblance is unmistakable, but the woman in my memories, so stoic and impassive, unmoved my by parents pleas _can’t_ be her…

“We _have_ to keep an eye on her," she stresses, “Her blood puts her in more danger than any other force sensitive her age. If she awakens in the force, it will be felt by all force users, light and dark. She will be tempted by the dark side, and new Sidious will rise. The balance we have found after centuries will be lost and the deaths of a thousand generations of Jedi will be in vain.”

My mother hiccups.

“We know this. But, wouldn’t it be easier to target her is she is alone? Should she not grow up with her family, teaching her about right and wrong? "

Luke, with a stony expression, stares at me from the corner of his eye. 

His gaze pierces me and I freeze in terror. I get the feeling he is staring right through me.

I'm afraid ... I don't want to see more but Kylo prevents me from turning away. He wants me to know, I feel it. I’m really scared.

“It was the fear of losing a loved one that drove our father to the Dark Side. We can't let history repeat itself,” Luke insists.

“Given her heritage, it is inevitable that Rey will be called to the Dark Side,” Leia said. “She must live in isolation and be observed. It would be much easier if she could stay here her whole life, but that is not the way of the force. When the time comes, when she awakens to the Force, we will make sure to guide her. But, for that, let us not give her any weakness that will make it easier to be seduced by darkness.”

“Weakness? You mean to say that my daughter will never know love and if she did it would be a _weakness_?!” my mother indignantly spits out.

Luke and Leia exchange a look.

Luke sighs, “From love, from attachments comes the fear of losing… and fear is a path to the Dark Side. The old order forbade attachments for this reason. But it failed. We must not. We can’t even risk taking her to the academy, she _must_ not have a single person she fears losing, no master or friend. This is the price that comes with your blood. If she wasn't a Palpatine, trust me, what we say would never come to pass.”

My vision blurs with tears, but the words cut right through me.

It was them… Luke and Leia, the people I respect the most in the world. 

They separated me from my parents, forced them to sell their own daughter…they deprived me of _everything_ …willingly.

Kylo Ren's hand squeezes mine in reassurance and I suddenly feel stronger. Grounded.

“This planet is a barren desert, you can't force us to abandon our daughter here! She is not even five years old!”

“Rest assured, we have friends here, they will watch over her from afar.”

“From a distance? And what about love, tenderness, whatever a child needs?” My mother cries.

I can see Leia try to steel her expression. “I'm sorry but that's the way it is, we have no choice. "

Suddenly, Han Solo, who had been listening to us at a distance walked up to her side and whispered indiscreetly, “A word, princess,” he demands.

I see myself decrepitly following them, animated by curiosity.

Han’s face sets into a deep frown and he faces his wife. “These people are right. You can’t ask this of them! Leia, look at her, she's just a little girl! She needs her parents.”

Leia scowls, looking very much like her son in that moment, “This is bigger than some child that would miss her parents! Don’t you see? If we don’t do this, everything we have fought for our entire life would be for nothing. A new Vader, or, force forbid, a new _Sidious_. Balance in the force demand this sacrifice!” She stomps in the opposite direction

Han looks angry now, “The Force or Luke? Leia, it is not because we think we are acting well that it we are. Separating a child from her family is not worth this.” He calls out after her.

“I know what it is to feel orphaned and alone on a unfriendly planet, and I don’t want anyone to go through that, at least not if I can help it. I got myself into a lot of trouble, Leia. The girl might too, and she may not be able to get out of it. What will happen to your precious balance then?"

At his words, she pauses, and slowly turns back with that infuriatingly calm expression.

"I don't expect you to understand, Han. You never believed in the force, you can’t feel it, and you **_do not understand.”_**

He presses his lips in a thin line, “I don't have to be a Jedi to understand that leaving an innocent girl on a dump like Jakku is wrong.”

“The Jedi order separated children from their parents! Obi Wan made the same choice for Luke and me and he was right.”

“Damn it! It was different back then, Leia! The Empire was in power, your father was a _Sith_ , and your mother had died in childbirth. The only reason Obi Wan separated you was for your protection,” he was almost shouting.

She exasperatedly huffed, “Just like we do today for this child.”

“This ain’t nothing like back then! You had your adopted parents, Luke had his aunt and uncle. This child will not have either! We are at peace, Palpatine is dead, the Empire is gone, and the New Republic is in place. There is no threat! "

“But there will be!” she snapped. 

He reeled back.

“That is how the force works,” she continued, a little calmly, ”Darkness will rise again. Maybe not today, not tomorrow, maybe not while we live, but someday. I’m just trying to make sure that it will not be through this little girl. Even Luke was tempted, but he learned to stay in the light. If he didn’t lose his family as I did mine, nothing would have stopped him from falling. Palpatine would just have to hold them over us and we would be the new dark apprentices, maybe worse than Vader."

Han Solo shakes his head “Think about it! Our son, Ben also has this darkness in his blood. He is Vader’s grandson. If someone pretended to take him away from you just because they _thought_ he would become an evil Sith lord, would you let them?”

Her face hardened, “I would do whatever is necessary to protect the Balance. To protect peace. To prevent another Empire, another Alderaan, and yes, another _Vader_."

Han stares at her in disappointment and steps further back.

“I can't believe what I’m hearing. So, would you be willing to sacrifice Ben? If Luke asked you, would you really give him up? Abandon him like this?”

“I wouldn’t be happy to do it, but I would."

Through our bond, I feel Ben’s turmoil but I am too consumed by my own emotions to bring any comfort to him. 

I try to gather myself, rubbing the tears away, and I see Han Solo turning away from Leia.

“I can’t…I can’t be with you on this. I know we say we’ll try for Ben, but Leia, I _can’t_ support you in doing something like this.” His voice wavers slightly, “You’re right. I’ve never understood your fancy mumbo jumbo, but this ain’t just that. The rebel princess and the moisture farm boy I met all those years ago would never do something like this. I tried to ignore the little things, y’know. First you’d both spend months on some random moon training with your laser swords, even when you found out you were carrying Ben. Then, you wanted to name your son after an old guy you knew for lesser time than me, I didn’t mind a lot but you’ve changed. Not just by this force stuff. You went to sign galactic concordance when you were _nine months pregnant_. I get that it’s your job, and I know I’m not capable enough in your eyes to raise that kid because I don’t have your magical force, but I know I’d do better than letting him be raised by droids while you try to fix a galaxy that ain’t broke. You’ve never cared, and now you say you’ll abandon him like you force these people, who _actually care about their child_ to? I’ve kept quiet and I’ve _tried_ , but this is it. You’ve gone too far this time.”

She exhaled and shut her eyes. "You don’t understand. You never will. Not about raising Ben, and not about this. So, don't interfere," Leia tells him, teeth clenched.

“As you say, princess,” Han quipped bitterly before turning away. “Don’t wait for me, I think we ought to go our separate ways. I would be slipshod if I jeopardized your precious crusade. "

From where I was, I see Chewie shake his head and Han Solo quickly walk by him to board the _Millennium Falcon_ .

My mother's tears reach me again and I turn to my parents.

"Don’t leave me!" I cry, lip quivering.

Luke walks up to me and stares at me for a moment. Again, I have the feeling that he sees the adult woman that I am now behind the little girl in front of him.

“I'm sorry, but the Force demands it so.”

Now, my father protests, “But I always made sure to stay as far away from Palpatine as possible. He didn't even know about Rey,” tries my father again. “There is no way any new Sith can corrupt her if she turns out to be Force-sensitive!”

“She is,” Luke says.

“At least allow my sister to watch over her,” pleads my father. “She will know how to stay at a distance, you’d know how well that’d work"

Luke looks away briefly, "No, it's impossible, the risk is too high”

"If we've found you, the Sith can find you when the time comes," Leia said. “In addition to the threat to Balance, keeping your daughter by your side or entrusting her to a family member would only endanger her further.”

“We don't know how the Sith would react if they knew about it. Sure, they would try to turn her over to the Dark Side, but if she resisted them, they might decide to kill her." she looked at them meaningfully.

My mother stifles a hysterical sob and Leia approaches her.

Her demeanour is softer now, “I am a mother too. I understand how difficult and painful this must be to you, but it is really for the best. Especially for Rey. You can be sure that we will not let anything bad happen to it. The Jedi Order's mission is to protect. Our friends will do everything possible to watch over her, but there is no way you can stay by her side." she consoles.

Deep inside, I feel something break. 

I want to yell, to cry, to _hurt_ those who have deprived me of a family. 

I watch my parents turn away from the child I was despite themselves.

I feel alone, empty… Luke walks over. He lifts a hand to me and focuses. My petite body convulses ,then I fall back to the sandy ground. 

My mother gives a slight cry but Luke reassures her.

“Memory erasure, it is imperative that Rey forgets about our presence on Jakku. She will wake up in a few moments and you can say goodbye to her. We will be waiting for you on board the ship. "

Luke and Leia move away and I feel the universe faltering.

How could they do such a thing to me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...oops.
> 
> So that happened. I feel that I might have oversized Han's speech, but it feels really true. Adam Driver himself said that he felt Han and Leia were too self-absorbed to raise him right, and Palpatine had literally been a voice in his head since he was little. In this fic, Han is somewhat of the 'good' parent, but he refrains from stepping up because he knows that he'll never understand his kid like Luke and Leia because of the Force. 
> 
> There is not a lot of Mama Leia in this story. She is not going to bashed relentlessly, but she has made mistakes and still does. I felt that if Carrie Fisher lived, we should have gotten an episode IX where she forgives her father and comes to terms with herself, allowing he rot forgive her son. There was a lot of that in legends where she reads Shmi Skywalker's diary and finds out about Padmè.
> 
> There is just a huge chunk of missing information that has been poorly filled by canon comics and BTS commentary. I don't understand what happened to the Luke we saw in the end of ROTJ to make him the Luke of ep. VIII. Han and Leia neglected Ben, Palpatine whispered in his head...but even the Rise of Kylo Ren doesn't satisfactorily tell us why he turned. Bloodline by Claudia grey gave us a little perspective on Leia dealing with Vader, but not enough. Han and Leia drifted apart at some point, but why exactly? 
> 
> It feels like the ST Disney writers are too afraid to write these stories because they fear they'll ruin the OT, and the OT writers have no interest in continuing their narrative after Legends where they milked it for too much money.
> 
> As for Leia, she may seem horrible in this fanfic, but like her son, she is not a bad person, she just thinks she is right.  
> I have to be honest, my chrome translator didn't work and I tried my best to translate with what little I remember from the French classes I took 3 years ago and build around it, but I hope it's not too different. It's fixed now but I'm a day late in updating...
> 
> (Sorry about the rant)
> 
> We all need to give all our virtual cookies to JessSwann who wrote this delicious soap opera, put up with my dailies, responded to all the comments and gave me too much credit ~///~ 
> 
> Also, when I decided to do one chapter a day I didn't plan on 6 house of online classes :((( much less unit tests (That I got 95% on!!!) so I might post multiple chapters a day, and none the day after...but not with too large gaps.
> 
> We still have 60 chapter left, so buckle in folks! Be sure to subscribe and comment!!


	10. Kylo Ren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo is 200% done with being a Supreme Leader and it shows.

**CHAPTER 10**

**Kylo Ren**

* * *

**_Steadfast Destroyer,_ **

Our bond is abruptly broken and I take a few seconds to realize where I am. 

Rey’s memory has shocked me. 

I now understand the reasons for my parents' separation. For so long, I hated my father for leaving, but now I’m glad he did. I thought It was because they didn’t agree with each other on many things…but I didn’t know about any of this.

This is all Skywalker's fault. If he wasn’t dead already, I'd be happy to kill him again. 

I always knew that somehow, he fit somewhere in the making of my parent’s fractured relationship, and Mama was always torn between being a good Jedi, then a senator and a mother and wife. But until this day I hadn't realized how much she was willing to sacrifice, and the hold Luke had over her.

"Supreme Leader?” Pryde says, bringing me back to the present. “They’re escaping, should we pursue them? "

Yes! A thousand times yes! The experience I’ve just had only fuels my desire to put an end to all this.

The last time, when we attacked the Raddus, I hesitated. My thumb couldn’t press the control and take the shot. This time, I won’t.

After all, she too wouldn't hesitate to do the same if I can believe Rey's memories, at least not if she thought it was for the _good of the galaxy_.

“Put our entire fleet on their trail!” I bark out.

“Should we shoot them? "

Yes, atomize them and put an end to the Resistance once and for all. 

But Rey, I need her, Palpatine wants her. He thinks I'm nothing but the obedient, deferential heir. Once she joins me, no one will be able to stand in our way. Neither the Sith nor the Jedi. The First Order will become the only order.

“Spare the _Millennium Falcon_ , destroy all the rest. "

* * *

From the command deck, I watch the destroyer canons fire at the rebel X-wings. Even they realise that they can’t fight this one, and the remaining fighters jump to lightspeed. Even the _Falcon._

“Target the _Millennium Falcon_ , follow it but stay away. I don't want them in our targeting range.”

Hux stares at me in disbelief but I don't care what he thinks. I can't afford to lose sight of her.

"Supreme Leader, the Resistance fighters are in our line of fire, why not end this for good?" Pryde intervenes.

Does he not learn? Did they question Snoke’s orders or does my presence embolden them?

“Just obey, General Pryde.” I grit. I’ve had it with this man.

“The members of the Council would like to know the reasons for your actions,” he persists. “So far, they have supported you despite their growing doubts, but this is highly irregular. They seem to have lost their trust. ”

_Lost their trust_? I’m the Supreme Leader! They don’t need to trust me they need to _follow_ me!

Furious, I rush into the Council Chamber. I'm tired of these fools.

"General Pryde informs me that some of you have questions regarding my decisions?" I maintain an air of formal authority. They still take me for a mindless brute, but it would seem all those lessons on diplomatic decorum finally became useful, mother.

I scrutinize the expressions of the council members. They avoid my gaze but their fear is evident. They are right to be afraid...

"There are rumours, that Emperor Palpatine has returned. These rumours…unsettle us," one of them carefully intervenes. _Is it true ? Has the Emperor returned? If the news is correct, it changes our outlook_ , I hear him think.

_Just like his inability to end the Resistance_ , another voice to my left thinks.

I take a deep breath. I am tempted to slice them in half with my light saber or force choke them, but it is still too early. They may be Snoke’s obedient pets that’ll never agree with me, but their connections and resources might yet be of some. Besides, finding these many diplomats would be hard in a military organisation.

I may not be in a position to kill them, but I cannot let them question my rule. I must not risk a mutiny within my ranks.

“The rumours are true,” I declare. The shock is evident on their faces.

“I met Palpatine. He is weakened but still alive. He has a ghost fleet capable of reducing the entire galaxy to dust and therefore putting an end to all opposition. He's willing to give it to us in exchange for something on board the _Millennium Falcon_. That's why, in the best interests of the First Order, I want that ship captured. I suppose your dissatisfaction at my actions is now quelled? "

The quiet room erupts in mummers.

Despite their best efforts not to react, I notice that many of them turn to Pryde, waiting for him to confirm what I am saying.

My suspicions are therefore justified. The General is playing a double game, underneath his unambiguous exterior, he is undermining my authority for a higher one. Maybe he's even been in touch with Palpatine from the start.

"However, that does not explain how the Resistance escaped," Pryde continues. “It is certain that they had been warned of our arrival. "

I give him a cold look. "Indeed. There is a traitor among us. I expect him to be eliminated, General. I hope that for your sake you will be efficient. "

He hesitates briefly and then an obsequious smile forms on his lips.

“You can count on me, Supreme Leader."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We'll see about that, general.
> 
> I've made a few minor edits (spelling and spacing mostly) in the last chapter, but do forgive me if some letters are still misplaced.
> 
> It's like the more I translate the more I fall in love with this...so let's be sure to leave kudos for our amazing author, JessSwann!!
> 
> She has been extremely supportive of this in addition to being a great writer.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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